Published June 19, 2026 ยท by Hijrat โ visa consultants, Islamabad & Rawalpindi
For anyone chasing a Gulf job, a foreign university place or a work visa, HEC degree attestation has long meant long queues and couriering original documents to Islamabad. In 2026 that is finally changing โ the Higher Education Commission is moving the whole process online. Here is what is new and how to use it.
In May 2026 HEC began rolling out a fully digital, paperless Degree Attestation System, with nationwide coverage targeted by the end of June 2026. You no longer need to visit an HEC office or hand over your original degree โ application, document upload, verification and tracking all happen through HEC's e-services portal.
You create an account on the HEC e-services portal, enter your academic details and upload your documents. HEC and your awarding university then verify them online, and once approved you can download the attested certificate straight from your portal account. The platform is built on blockchain so that verification is faster and far harder to forge.
The fee is Rs 3,000 per document โ covering degrees, transcripts, provisional certificates and HEC equivalence letters โ paid online through 1-Link, debit or credit card, or a mobile wallet. The rollout is phased and initially links HEC with around 25 universities and the Foreign Office, so not every institution may be live on day one.
For most Gulf employers an HEC stamp alone is not enough. The usual chain is HEC, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), then the destination country's embassy. Since Pakistan joined the Hague Apostille Convention, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain accept a MOFA apostille โ but the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are not members, so documents for those countries still need the full embassy attestation chain before you can use them with a work visa. Our attestation service handles the complete sequence for you.
Because the digital rollout is still phased and MOFA's own online systems have seen temporary disruptions during 2026, processing times can vary from week to week. If you already have a job offer or a visa deadline, start the attestation early rather than waiting until the last moment.
Hijrat handles HEC, MOFA and embassy attestation end-to-end from Islamabad โ serving Rawalpindi and overseas Pakistanis too. Fees are always itemised before you pay.
Visa and attestation rules change frequently, and the HEC and MOFA digital rollout is still ongoing. This article reflects information available on the date of publication โ always confirm current requirements and fees with HEC, MOFA or Hijrat before applying.